Begonia plant named ‘Sunjiraho’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Begonia  plant named ‘Sunjiraho’, characterized by its compact, outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; and numerous single white-colored flowers that are held above and beyond the foliar plane.

Botanical designation: Begonia×tuberhybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SUNJIRAHO’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Begonia plant, botanically known as Begonia×tuberhybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Sunjiraho’.

The new Begonia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Narusawa-mura, Minamituru-gun, Yamanashi, Japan. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact and freely branching Begonia plants with a mounding plant habit and attractive leaf and flower coloration.

The new Begonia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in Narusawa-mura, Minamituru-gun, Yamanashi, Japan in June, 2007 of a proprietary selection of Begonia×tuberhybrida identified as code number FC04W314N, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Begonia×tuberhybrida identified as code number FC04W312N, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Begonia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Narusawa-mura, Minamituru-gun, Yamanashi, Japan in August, 2008.

Asexual reproduction of the new Begonia plant by cuttings taken in a controlled greenhouse environment in Narusawa-mura, Minamituru-gun, Yamanashi, Japan since August, 2008 has shown that the unique features of this new Begonia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Begonia have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Sunjiraho’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Sunjiraho’ as a new and distinct Begonia plant:

-   -   1. Compact, outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Numerous single white-colored flowers that are held above and         beyond the foliar plane.

Plants of the new Begonia differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Begonia have thicker stems than plants of         the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Begonia have smaller male flowers than         plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Begonia differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Begonia have larger leaves than plants of         the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Begonia have larger male flowers than         plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Begonia can be compared to plants of Begonia×tuberhybrida ‘Firecracker Orange’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Narusawa-mura, Minamituru-gun, Yamanashi, Japan, plants of the new Begonia differed primarily from plants of ‘Firecracker Orange’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Begonia were more compact than plants of         ‘Firecracker Orange’.     -   2. Plants of the new Begonia had shorter internodes than plants         of ‘Firecracker Orange’.     -   3. Plants of the new Begonia had shorter leaves than plants of         ‘Firecracker Orange’.     -   4. Plants of the new Begonia and ‘Firecracker Orange’ differed         in leaf and leaf petiole color.     -   5. Plants of the new Begonia had larger male flowers than plants         of ‘Firecracker Orange’.     -   6. Plants of the new Begonia and ‘Firecracker Orange’ differed         in flower color as plants of ‘Firecracker Orange’ had orange         red-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Begonia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Begonia plant.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sunjiraho’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close up view of a typical plant of ‘Sunjiraho’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the late summer/early autumn in 12-cm containers in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan under commercial practices. During the production of the plants, the day temperatures averaged 23° C. and the night temperatures averaged 13° C. Plants were four months old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Begonia×tuberhybrida ‘Sunjiraho’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Begonia×tuberhybrida identified as code number FC04W314N,             not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Begonia×tuberhybrida identified as code number FC04W312N,             not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 15 days at             temperatures of 17° C. to 28° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 15 days at             temperatures of 14° C. to 23° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 40 days             at temperatures of 17° C. to 28° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 40 days             at temperatures of 14° C. to 23° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; plants of the new Begonia             have been observed to form tubers during the winter. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Compact and mounding plant             habit, outwardly spreading; freely branching with good stem             strength; flowers are single and positioned above and beyond             the foliar plane; vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 13.8 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 29.1 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 13.2 cm. Diameter: About             3 mm. Internode length: About 1.9 cm. Aspect: Upright to             outwardly. Texture: Sparsely pubescent. Color: Close to             176D.         -   Leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple. Length: About             8.9 cm. Width: About 3.7 cm. Shape: Roughly lanceolate,             asymmetrical. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Cordate. Margin:             Serrate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Venation pattern: Palmate. Color: Developing and             fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 138A;             venation, close to 143C. Developing and fully expanded             leaves, lower surface: Close to 138B; venation, close to             146C. Petioles: Length: About 2.9 cm. Diameter: About             2.6 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 138B tinted with close to             59D. Stipules: Length: About 3.5 cm. Width: About 2 cm.             Shape: Narrowly deltoid. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flowering habit.—Single flowers arranged in axillary cymes;             usually about two to three flowers per cyme and about eight             cymes developing per plant; flowers positioned above and             beyond the foliar plane; flowers pendulous.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about two             months after planting; in the garden, plants flower             continuously from the spring to late autumn in Japan;             flowers not persistent.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Male flowers buds.—Length: About 2.9 cm. Diameter: About             1.5 cm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to N144D; towards the             apex, close to 1D.         -   Male flowers.—Shape: Cruciform. Diameter: About 4.8 cm.             Depth (height): About 3.6 cm. Tepals: Quantity and             arrangement: Four per flower in a single whorl. Length:             About 3.6 cm. Width: About 1.6 cm. Shape: Narrowly elliptic             to ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close to             NN155C. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close             to NN155B.         -   Female flowers buds.—Length: About 1.9 cm. Diameter: About             7.8 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to 144D; towards the             apex, close to 1D.         -   Female flowers.—Shape: Rounded. Diameter: About 3.9 cm.             Depth (height): About 2.5 cm. Tepals: Quantity and             arrangement: Five per flower in a single whorl. Length:             About 2.5 cm. Width: About 8.5 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex:             Acute. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening and             fully opened, upper surface: Close to NN155C. When opening             and fully opened, lower surface: Close to NN155C.         -   Flower bracts.—Length: About 2 cm. Width: About 1 cm. Color:             Close to N144D.         -   Peduncles.—Angle: Outwardly. Length: About 3.4 cm. Diameter:             About 1.3 mm. Texture: Sparsely pubescent. Color: Close to             177D.         -   Pedicels.—Angle: Outwardly. Length: About 2.7 cm. Diameter:             About 0.9 mm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to             145C tinted with close to 181D.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: About 42 per male             flower. Length: About 4.2 mm. Anther shape: Ovoid. Anther             length: About 1.5 mm. Anther diameter: About 1.2 mm. Anther             color: Close to 8A. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color:             Close to 8D. Pistils: Quantity: One per female flower.             Length: About 8.4 mm. Stigma shape: Six-lobed, convoluted.             Stigma color: Close to 12A. Style color: Close to 12A. Ovary             length: About 1 cm. Ovary diameter: About 8.2 mm. Ovary             color: Close to N144D tinged with close to 181D.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit production have not been             observed on plants of the new Begonia. -   Postproduction longevity: Excellent postproduction longevity, plants     last about 220 days. -   Disease & pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common     to Begonias has not been observed. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Begonia have been observed     to tolerate temperatures from about 14° C. to about 28° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Begonia plant named ‘Sunjiraho’ as illustrated and described. 